Introduction: The Need for Speed
Protocols like IPSec and OpenVPN are massively complex, containing hundreds of thousands of lines of code. This makes them slow on mobile devices and difficult to audit for bugs. WireGuard was built to fix this. It is a next-generation protocol that uses state-of-the-art cryptography in under 4,000 lines of code.
The 'Stateless' Approach
Unlike OpenVPN, which has to maintain a constant, chatty 'connection' to the server, WireGuard is completely 'Stateless'. It acts more like UDP. If your phone loses signal on a train and reconnects on Wi-Fi at home, WireGuard instantly resumes the secure tunnel without missing a beat, because it seamlessly roams across IP addresses.
Conclusion
WireGuard is faster, leaner, and more secure than anything that came before it. It is quickly becoming the default for consumer VPNs. Test your VPN speeds here.